In this hybrid reference book and scandal sheet, film writer Parish (Hollywood Bad Boys) casts a wide net to recount a century's worth of major female stars from Theda Bara to Britney Spears. Charting how the word "diva" has taken on a more elastic meaning over the century, he notes that while decades ago, a diva once meant a female who was a "goddess in her sphere of activity," primarily in the arts, it has come to carry negative connotations: difficult, self-indulgent, wild. These characteristics are the focus for the dozens of dishy portraits here. Some choices are obvious: self-destructive Judy Garland, willful Katharine Hepburn, haughty Diana Ross. But there are also surprises. Some are welcome, like past femmes fatale, Kay Francis or Lupe Velez; others may raise eyebrows because they don't seem old enough to be divas (e.g., Spears), don't have the star wattage (e.g., Brett Butler) or don't seem tempestuous enough (e.g., Jean Arthur). The biggest problem throughout is that little here is new. Maybe not everyone remembers that in the late 1940s, Maria Montez was pushed out of prominence by Yvonne De Carlo, or that Demi Moore was once Hollywood's highest-paid actress. But the big stuff is familiar: Ava Gardner fans already know the Sinatra stories, and Jennifer Lopez fans by now know the size of her ambition. In all, these are breezy portraits that may refresh readers' memories, but may not make them contemplate, as Parish hopes, "the price of fame." Agent, Stuart Bernstein. (Dec.)
